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I'll give you the U.S. version. As John Burgess notes, it's different in every country.I can only speak for the State Department route -- FSOs also can come from Department of Commerce, Department of Agriculture, and USAID, and their paths are all different. I can also only speak for FSO Generalists (what most people think of when they think of FSOs). Specialists, such as Diplomatic Security, Foreign Service Couriers, IT, etc. are also FSOs, but each career field there has its own tests and requirements. Things may change in the process since I underwent it -- you can always find the most up-to-date requirements at http://careers.state.gov.It's not easy. It's a grueling series of tests, clearances, and background checks that lasts anywhere from a one and a half to three years -- if you make it through each stage on the first try. Most do not succeed for several attempts, if at all. Less than a few hundred candidates pass each year out of tens of thousands of applicants, and the test can only be taken once per year. And of those that do eventually manage to pass the exams, hiring invitations are only becoming more selective as budgets tighten.However, it's almost purely a merit-based process based largely on you as a candidate. The only realistic necessities are a college degree and life experiences. For instance, my class included members as widely diverse as a 22 year old recent college grad (and not from an Ivy League either, though we did have plenty of those); to former Army Rangers (enlisted); to a full USAF Colonel (E-6); to a life-long Peace Corps Volunteer in his 50's just barely under the maximum age. Of course, we also had the stereotypical "Pale, Male, and Yale" types as well. So it's no joke when they say that really anyone can become an FSO.To start, you have to register and take the Foreign Service Officer Test (FSOT), which is sort of a general knowledge test on everything from history, to law and politics, to economics and trade. It's also got a written essay section and a biographical component in which you rank and self-assess. In this process you'll select a 'cone' which (theoretically) will guide the assignments for the rest of your career: Political, Consular, Economic, Management, or Public Diplomacy. If you pass the written FSOT, you move on to a series of personal narrative questions, these are basically short answer assignments (limited to like 100 words) in which you describe a bit more about yourself and past experiences. I call it a "resume review". It's a completely opaque process -- nobody knows exactly what the assessors are looking for at this stage, and it is widely assumed that it is used as a 'cut' stage to cut the applicant pool down to a particular size (as in some years it has been particularly brutal while in other years much less so -- even the exact same responses can pass one year and fail another). Those surviving candidates are then invited to take the Foreign Service Oral Assessment (FSOA, or 'OA'). The OA is a full day assessment including an interview, a group negotiation exercise (on which you are judged both individually and as a group) and a written case memo. Everyone who receives an invite to the OA is supposed to be capable of passing; however, passage rates for any given OA session tend to run between 10%-40%. At the conclusion of the OA, those applicants who pass will be given a score, which can be adjusted for veterans preference and bonus points for language fluency in critical or super-critical needs language.They'll move on to begin their medical clearance and security clearance. The medical clearance involves a physical clearing you for worldwide assignment, and the security clearance is for a Top Secret (TS) level clearance, which is another potential place for many candidates can fail out of the process. The clearance process can last from a matter of weeks to several years, depending on backlogs and the complexity of the case. Finally, there is a "final suitability review", which is sort of a catch-all review process for any red flags that may have been raised that aren't under the remit of the medical or security clearances.After all of that, the candidate will get placed on a hiring register for their cone; each cone's register is separate. Your modified score determines your ever-changing rank on the register. Highest score goes first, with length of time on register sorting ties. Each candidacy lasts on the register for 18 months -- since you can take the test once per year this allows you to theoretically be on more than one cone's register at once (though you can only apply for one cone per attempt. So the registers are constantly shifting as names come on and fall off, people add bonus points for demonstrating language fluency, hiring is announced, etc.Every so often, a new FSO class will be announced (specifically, it's hiring for a start date of the junior officer course, called "A-100"). In expansive hiring environments this could be every month or two. In tighter budgets, it can be a few months between courses. State figures out how many FSOs they need for a class which could be anywhere from a couple dozen to nearly a hundred, and sends out hiring invites. Invites go from the top of the register, starting with the highest rank, down until they run out (skipping over individuals on "do-not-call" status, indicating that they know they will not be available for hiring before specific point). You can decline an invitation once; after that you're removed from the register if you are invited again and are not ready to accept the invitation.Upon accepting your invite, you'll then start going through the HR process to begin your new career as a Foreign Service Officer. It may still be another year or two in further training before you begin assignments. Or, you may be like me and have a short training pipeline and be headed off to post within a few months of starting A-100. Either way, you're now part of one of the smallest and most exclusive communities within the U.S. government, having beaten over 95% of other applicants to one of the most prestigious jobs in federal service.I got my invite lying on a hospital bed with a tube up my nose after a bad run of the flu. It was still an incredible feeling. I was fortunate and passed everything on my first try, and had a relatively easy time through clearances. When I was placed on the political register I was in the mid 100's out of 260 something, but with my veteran's preference points and a lot of hiring at the time, I moved up to around 30 within three or four months, and got my invite relatively quickly. Start to finish it took me around a year and a half.On the other hand, if I were applying again, I would not have been hired with the same score, and there are much fewer positions available in today's hiring environment than there were in my A-100 class. Even a few months in either direction, and the hiring patterns would have been different enough that I wouldn't have gotten my invite so quickly, if at all. And I definitely would not have been hired were it not for veteran's preference. Having either veteran's points or bonus points from speaking a language (or both) is so critical that it's almost necessary to be competitive.

First and foremost, you need to meet with an Officer Selection Officer (OSO) or their assistant (OSA, that's me!) to make sure you're qualified for the program beyond just having a college degree. There are a lot of things that can disqualify you and since your profile is blank, I couldn't even begin to guess. You can find out where your nearest OSO is and request information here: Marine Corps OfficersSo, how hard is it to get selected for Marine OCS and what can you do to get selected? Buckle up because this is probably going to be my longest answer to date and you may not like it much.Getting selected for Marine OCS and your chances of getting selected depends on a number of factors which include:Your Physical Fitness Test (PFT) scoresWhat your OSO has to say in their evaluation of youThe strength of your overall applicationContract Type (Ground, air, law or reserves)Who you are competing againstThere are some other variables but these are the biggest ones. You will have more control over some of these things but there's no one magical thing that will guarantee selection. I will say that your PFT scores and OSO evaluation are probably the most important ones in your control.PFT Scores - I have been told by members of past selection boards that they prefer to see a series of PFT scores that show improvement or a series of high scores that doesn't change much, over one perfect 300 PFT. This shows that you have the motivation and determination to make improvement that you need to have to be a successful Marine and that you are consistent and dependable. So don't be embarrassed if your PFT score is not very high right now, just make steady improvements and take PFTs at the very least, on a monthly basis.OSO Evaluation- This can make or break your application because this is where the OSO will give the board their opinion of you. The process of interviewing and completing an application usually takes a month or two minimum so if you did not make a good impression or no impression during that time, this can sink your chances of being selected. Unfortunately, your opportunities to interact with your OSO or OSA may be limited depending on the way the office is set up. So take advantage of every interaction.I encourage applicants and candidates to be responsive to communications from their office, participate in Pool events as much as possible and volunteer to take the lead and mentor other members of the Pool as much as they can. This maximizes your opportunities for making a good impression.Overall Application - As a college grad, there are certain pieces of the application that you're now stuck with. Test scores, GPA, major, employment history, extracurricular activities during your school years, etc. are all looked at and unless you were really on top of things, this part of your application may be weaker than others. If you're in this boat, pick something that requires some leadership skills and start getting those volunteer hours in. Make sure you bring proof of those hours to your OSO/OSA or they won't know to include them in your application. Better late than never.Contract Type - Now I'll talk a little bit about percentages with the caveat that none of these numbers are scientifically calculated and based only on the selection results from my particular office.Ground - This is the most common type, you will be going active duty into a job that is not a pilot or lawyer. Sorry, no guarantees on which job. If your PFT score is a 285 or higher, I would say you have a 75% chance of getting direct selected to the OCS class you were applying for. If your PFT was in the 260-275 range or you didn't get direct selected with a 285 or higher, your chances of being pre-selected to the following class is probably 80–90%.Reserve Ground - You are going to be a reservist with a job that is not pilot or lawyer. If you want a particular job or geographical location, this is probably the best way to get it. Candidates with PFT scores 260 or higher tend to get selected about 80% of the time. They can also get pre-selected at similar rates to regular ground.Air & Law - If your PFT score is 260 or higher, your chances of being selected are 100%. I have yet to see someone under either of these contracts not get selected. The problem is that it is much harder to qualify for these contracts because there are additional requirements, like having a law degree or passing a flight physical.Note that none of the above changes much if you're female.Your competition - this is the thing you probably have the least control over. You are not only competing against the other candidates in your office but from your recruiting district. A recruiting district encompasses several states and candidates from at least ten other Officer Selections Officers. If your fellow candidates are all Boy Scout troop leaders running 300 PFTs with degrees from Harvard and you are not, you might be out of luck. I would not focus on this aspect at all because it's counter productive. Just do what you can to put your best foot forward.So, now that I've spilled all the secrets, I hope someone finds it useful and actually takes my advice. I wish you the best of luck. Let us know how it goes.

To get a job in Canada, you must do 5 things:Creating a resumé that’s consistently gets shortlistedCreate a LinkedIn profile that gets found by recruitersBuild a network that will get you referrals to jobsStand out in your online job applicationAcing the job interviewI’ll break down each section for you. At the end, if you even apply 1 thing from this answer you should see a significant difference in your job search in Canada.Canada’s hiring practices are competitive and conservative, especially for newcomers to Canada. But as a newcomer myself, I can confidently tell you that finding the right job early, will reward you big time in the near future. It’s the only reason I was able to afford a home in Canada during these difficult times with the housing market at an all-time high…So let’s get to it!The biggest complaint job seekers have is that they apply for jobs online and don’t hear back.The second biggest complaint is they are getting interviews, but they are not converting to job offers, and they don’t get any feedback as to why.Anyone of the above 5 things could be the root cause.So let’s start at the beginning - your resumé.#1 CREATE A RESUMÉ THAT CONSISTENTLY GETS SHORTLISTEDIn this day and age, machines and artificial intelligence is part of the job application process.It’s important to remember that your resumé has to pass the initial screening of an applicant tracking system (“ATS”) that is programmed to match keywords from the job description to your resumé.Only once your resumé is ranked high, will it get to a recruiter’s eyes.The recruiter is only aware of what is on the job description. So if something is on your resumé that’s not on the job description, it’s going to be alien to her, and a distraction to vital content that is relevant.The other point you have to remember, is that you resumé is scanned for 7.4 seconds (according to research by The Ladders) before a recruiter decides if this resumé is worth a detailed read.So not only does your resumé’s content need to be relevant, that relevant info needs to light up like a Christmas tree the moment that page is opened.You can download a template of such a resumé at the bottom of this answer.Your target job titlePut the job title of the job description right under your name at the top. That’s your headline.Not only will the ATS rank your resumé higher, the recruiter will immediately observe that this is a resumé that is relevant to the role she is trying to fill.It does not matter if your current/last job matches that title. The purpose of the headline is to establish what job you are applying for.Your actual job titles that you had goes in the work history section.Your Professional SummaryThe very first line of your resumé should indicate the years of experience you have, your job function, your industry (optional) and key soft skills that provides context to an achievement or accomplishment.Ditch any tired overused business jargon like “Result oriented” or “Passionate”. Readers have grown tired of these phrases that provide no proof or context.An example would be “Project Management professional with 7+ years experience in the construction industry, responsible for managing the completely life-cycle of projects from tender to close-out, giving high attention to detail with project management documentation that fosters positive collaboration and communications with project stakeholders, resulting in < 5% project budget variances.”And just like that, within 7 seconds of seeing your target job title and professional summary, I already have 50% of the info I need to make that call. Now I’m ready to read the rest of your resumé.You’d be surprised - for many resumé’s I have read, I’ve spent 5 minutes reading it and I still don’t know what type of job the person is looking for or what they do.Work ExperienceThe biggest mistake I see job seekers making here is listing out their responsibilities like a task list.The second biggest mistake is using this section as a dumping ground from a brainstorming session of their past responsibilities and skills.If there is one thing you should take away from this answer, it’s this:NEVER start a job search without researching the job market.A job search is a marketing project.Your resumé is a marketing document.You cannot - I repeat - absolutely cannot, assume that your past roles and responsibilities is exactly what your future employer is looking for.Review 5–7 job description for research purposes. Check what are the most common responsibility, skills and qualifications required.Only then, create a resumé that speaks to that research.Every company does things differently. Times change. Roles evolve. If you have not been job searching for a long time, it’s likely the market needs something different from your job title.Once you done that research, don’t just like your responsibilities like a task list. This may be the norm in some countries.But in Canada, you need to stand out from your competition by explaining what you did (the task) how you did it differently, and proof you did it well.Be specific, provide context, and quantify wherever possible.For example, instead of stating:“Created project management plans and made sure they remained up to date.”You could restate it to:“Created project management plans using MS project and advanced excel formulas to track project scope, budget and timelines. Documents were cleanly formatted and consistently communicated to all project stakeholders via SharePoint, creating a culture of continuous feedback that reduced project scope to < 10% while maintaining budget variance of < 5%”This resumé would rank well for a job description where project management plans, MS Office and SharePoint were important keywords.EducationDon’t go overboard with your education. State it before your work experience if you’re a new grad or need to fill an employment gap.In most case for mid-level roles and higher, education goes last in a Canadian resumé.State your major, the college name and that’s it. Exclude the year if you graduated over 5 years ago, else you will be dating yourself and opening yourself up to age discrimination.Volunteer ExperienceDefinitely a plus point. Large enterprise organizations value volunteer work in Canada, as community outreach is a value they pride themselves on.Again, it goes to the end of your resumé, unless it also serves to fill an employment gap.#2 CREATE A LINKEDIN PROFILE THAT GETS FOUND BY RECRUITERSAccording to a study by Jobvite, 87% of recruiters check out a candidates LinkedIn profile.So if you’ve been neglecting it, make sure you spruce it up - it could be the tie-breaker for the recruiter between calling you for the interview vs someone else.Recruiters search LinkedIn for talent. And once again, keywords play an important role.When they search, they enter criteria such as industry and location, but they will also enter keywords from the job description to further filter their search.Another reason why that research I mentioned earlier is so vital.Profile PictureAccording to a LinkedIn source, having a profile picture increases the likelihood of your profile being read by 14 times.It also helps establish trust and likability with the recruiter. Considering that in a Canadian resumé, you cannot include personal details like your photograph (along with your date of birth and gender), a picture is still worth a thousand words.So make sure you get a good (ideally professional) headshot of yourself. It’s worth the time and money to get a good photo done.HeadlineBe sure to update the headline from the default. LinkedIn auto inserts your last job title and company here if you leave it blank.Big mistake.Your headline is highly important in LinkedIn’s search software for ranking high for recruiter searches.So pack it with relevant skills and keywords from your search.Work HistoryYou could take the easy way out and just copy paste your resumé here.But smart job seekers are using their work history to tell a story.You see in many cases, a recruiter has seen your resumé already, and has moved on to your LinkedIn profile to learn more.So give her more! Elaborate on the problems you solved, how you solved them, the challenges you faced, and the difference you made in the organization.Your resumé is for stating facts and being direct and to the point.Your LinkedIn profile is for story-telling.#BUILDING A NETWORK THAT WILL GET YOU REFERRALS TO JOBSThis is the single biggest activity in your job search strategy that will end your job search sooner than later.It is said that 80% of the job market is hidden. That doesn’t mean the job is not advertised, as regulatory requirements in Canada require them to be so.It means that the hiring manager has already ear-marked the position to someone in advance. In other words - the “preferred candidate”.Why did they choose this preferred candidate? Because the candidate took an active effort to stay in touch with the hiring manager.That’s what networking is about. Staying in touch.And so many people fail at networking in Canada. Because they think it’s transactional.The first stage of networking in Canada is nurturing. i.e. Giving unconditionally until your contact is ready to give back.It’s like planting a tree. You plant the seed. You provide food and water without expecting that tree to bear fruit. Then eventually, with enough nourishment, that tree will bear fruit for you on its own.Networking is exactly the same. You can’t expect a new contact to have a job for in their back pocket the moment you connect with them.But eventually they will. The question is, when that time comes, will they remember you and trust you enough to put their reputation on the line to give you that referral.This is why many job seekers fail at networking. They treat every contact as a transaction.They send a LinkedIn message - “Hi I’d like to connect. I’m looking for a job in Canada. Let me know if you hear of anything.”No!I will not let you know if I heard of anything. Why should I? What do I owe you?If you truly want to build a network, start by nurturing a network.Your Canadian networking planTarget 10–15 companies you want to work for.Go to LinkedIn and do a filtered people search. Filter by the company name, location, and keywords from the job title. For example, if you are in supply chain, enter “Supply Chain” in the job title.Find senior managers, directors, and VPs. Yes, go as high up as them. Because these are the people with the power, authority and who control the budget to hire you.Send them a customize LinkedIn invite (or Inmail if you’ve invested in Premier).Set calendar reminders to stay in touch with them every two weeks.What is “Staying in touch”It’s not “Hi”, “How are you”, “Thanks for connecting”, “Hope you’re doing well”.Don’t be a lazy networker.Staying in touch means offering value to your network. Learn about their company, learn about the industry, and share information with them.If you live in their community, share community news. VPs and directors are usually volunteering their time by being on board of directors of non-profit organizations.Learn about what they do, and offer your support.THAT is networking!Is it hard? Yes!Does it take up more time? Yes!Will it end your job search sooner and put more money in your pocket? Hell yes!#4 STAND OUT WITH YOUR ONLINE JOB APPLICATIONThere are over ~200 applicants for every job. How are you standing out?Here’s what you should be doing:Customizing your resumé for every job application. Use http://jobscan.co to scan your resumé to make sure it scores high with the ATS. No job seeker to be looking for work without this vital tool.Create a cover letter that starts with a hook - something captivates the reader. Provide an example of a common problem in your industry, and how you’ve solved that problem in the past. End with a call to action with your contact details, expressing your excitement and why you want to work for this company.Contact the hiring manager directly. Use the filtered LinkedIn search I explained earlier, and discover who the hiring manager might be. At times, job descriptions give you the exact job title the position will be reporting to.Most people don’t go through this much effort for an application.They are happy submitting a generic resumé, clicking submit, and relying on hope.Stop hoping. Take control of your application by going after the jobs you apply for. This is how I got three job offers in three weeks from landing in Canada.I just didn’t rely on those machines and recruiters to filter my resumé. I made sure the hiring manager - the one decision-maker for every job - knew my name!#5 ACING THE JOB INTERVIEWThe job does not go to the most qualified candidate. It goes to the most prepared.When preparing for your job interview, you need to prepare the following areas:Tell me about yourselfThis is the first question you will be asked, and you need to practice this a million times until it comes naturally to you.I’ve conducted countless interviews in Canada, and most candidates bore me to death with their answer.The answer should be no longer than 60 seconds. The manager doesn’t want you to parrot back what’s already on the resumé.Start with your years in the industry as an opening line, and from there move on to the two biggest skills you believe you possess.Then, tell a story about how you’ve used those skills, ideally in a specific project. Be sure that, in the story, you are emphasizing on the “I” instead of “We”.Most people are thinking of a team project, so they use the word “We”. But remember, the hiring manager is not hiring your former team. She is hiring you! So be sure your story focuses on how you specifically contributed to that project with the skills you mentioned.And finally, wind up with why you are interested in this position.60 seconds - no more!Practice this introduction by recording yourself on your phone - I highly recommend it if you are serious about getting that job.The core questionsInterviews in Canada are conducted using behavioural interview questions. This is very different from other parts of the world.These types of questions typically start with “Tell me about a time when…” or “How would handle this situation…”You must prepare to answer them in advance. Managers can immediately tell when someone is winging it.How to prepare?Look at each responsibility in the job description, and think about a time when you had to use that responsibility.Organize your story in the S.T.A.R. format.What is the S.ituation you were put in, what was the T.ask you were assigned, what A.ction did you take, and what the R.esult you achieved.For example, the tough question could be “Tell me about a time you had a disagreement with your boss, how did you handle it?”(Yes, these are the types of questions you could be asked in Canadian interview)A good answer for a call center team leader (for example) is this:“We had a situation once where the manager asked us to reduce the hold time between calls to 0 seconds so we could reduce our call wait times. I knew this would be a problem as our agents used this time to complete the ticket data entry. I voiced my concern and tasked myself to check with the team first. It turns out I was right. The team stated that if they did not get this time, the ticket quality would suffer. I reached by to the manager and explained the situation and provided examples as well. He understood and retracted his suggestion, much to the relief of the other team leads.”Not only is this a great answer, you’ve also shown you’ve taken ownership, and been a true leader for supporting your employees and peers.Note the cultural difference here. In other parts of the world, this answer may not be acceptable. In hierarchal cultures, you follow the bosses command without question. Canada’s culture is more egalitarian. Everyone’s opinion matters, and (good) management expect you to speak up and challenge them where required.Closing the interviewYou will be asked at the end if you have any questions for the interviewer.The wrong answer is “No”.You must prepare questions in the advance. Good questions could be:Questions about the team/company cultureWhat are the first projects you will be handlingQuestions about the department’s goals and objectivesQuestions about the biggest challenges the manager is facing.Do NOT ask questions about pay and benefits. That comes after the job offer.It’s all up to youWhether you’re a newcomer to Canada, a new graduate or a seasons Canadian professional, these basic tips go a long way in giving you the career you deserve.I know it’s a lot to take in. But take it one step at a time.Start by downloading this Canadian resumé template that I’ve created. I’ve personally used this, and so have my students with resounding success in Canada.Click here to download the template.To your success in Canada.